


A "Returned from the Dead" Kiss

by AvidReaderOfAll



Series: A Collection of Kisses [4]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Anders mention, Developing Relationship, Dragon Age II - Act 3, Dragon Age II Quest - Finding Nathaniel, F/M, Featuring my Cousland but you can read her as anyone you wish, Hawke Sibling becomes a Warden, Justice mention, Nathaniel is Smitten, POV Nathaniel Howe, Romance, Set During Dragon Age II, Some angst, Velanna has Feelings, Velanna has a Heart, awkward kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27889174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvidReaderOfAll/pseuds/AvidReaderOfAll
Summary: After the disaster in the Deep Roads near Kirkwall, Nathaniel gets more than he bargained for.
Relationships: Nathaniel Howe/Velanna
Series: A Collection of Kisses [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917481
Kudos: 10





	A "Returned from the Dead" Kiss

Nathaniel was ready to fall over as he crested the dark hill and saw the gates of Vigil’s Keep. The lanterns barely lit the road in front of them as his small party made their way towards home. It had been a long few weeks and all he wanted to do was to strip off his armor and fall face first into his bed. The Warden-Commander would let him sleep in tomorrow, he was sure of it. He would give a basic report to her tonight, get a bath, and sleep. Maybe even skip the bath for now. At this rate he would sleep in his armor if it meant getting off of his feet. Coming back from a mission without his full squad would always be hard, but to come back from a mission with hardly any survivors was devastating. Ten wardens went in and only three wardens came out. Nathaniel knew that he should be thankful that Temmerin and Hawke survived, but he just couldn't get past the loss. 

Seven wardens. 

Nathaniel was really not looking forward to giving the Warden-Commander a full report. How could he justify losing seven lives? And for what? They didn’t even reach the thaig. And they had to be rescued by Hawke’s older brother. And Anders. Maker’s breath what the _ fuck _ was he going to tell Cousland about Anders? 

Nathaniel felt the pressure squeezing behind his eyes and sighed. Tonight was going to be a long night, but maybe tomorrow would allow him the chance to sleep. 

Maybe. 

He waved off Hawke and Temmerin as he made his way past the main hall of what was once his ancestral home, winding his way down the familiar corridors until he reached the Warden-Commander’s rooms. Her office door was slightly ajar and he barely had time to knock before she called him in. Warden-Commander Cousland gave him a smile as she rose from her desk. 

“Welcome back, Nathaniel. You had us all quite worried.” 

“Apologies, my Lady. It has been … an eventful mission.” Nathaniel sighed. “A failed mission.” 

The Warden-Commander furrowed her brow as she leaned against her desk. “Give me the highlights then, it’s late.” 

“The tunnels to the thaig were not clear. We got separated into three groups by the darkspawn, which seemed to be never-ending. The darkspawn pushed my group back towards the cave entrance and moved the rest down deeper into the thaig. Multiple orges encountered. Seven casualties.” He sighed. “We all would have died down there if not for Hawke’s older brother, The Champion of Kirkwall. It seems my sister sought him out when I stopped writing.”

“I’ll thank Delilah for saving your life then,” Cousland said. “And I’ll have to talk to our contacts about the tunnels. He said there was no activity. Something must have drawn them there.” She gave a small, pinched sigh. “Seven casualties. Who else made it back?”

“Hawke and Temmerin.” 

Cousland let out a longer sigh, turning towards the desk. “I’ll write to the families immediately.”

“There’s one more thing, my Lady.” He hid a smile as he heard her mutter “of course there is” before she turned back to him. Best just to get it out then. 

“Anders was with The Champion.” 

“And Justice…?” 

“Inside Anders.” 

“Fuck.” She clenched her jaw and brought her hands to her temples. “That shall be dealt with tomorrow. I’ll write to the families of the deceased tonight. You should get a hot bath and some rest. Food will be sent to your room. I will not need you for the remainder of this week.” She smiled at him. “I’m sure everyone will be happy to see you. Oghren was very worried, you know.”

Nathaniel gave a short bark of a laugh. “Of that I have no doubt.” He bowed and took his leave. 

*~*

What he definitely wasn’t expecting was Velanna in his room. He nearly backed out to double check that he had walked in the correct room. But, no, this was his room. It was his grandfather’s bow that was mounted above his desk, which held his sister’s letters and the drawing that his nephew had gifted him that was possibly of a mabari. It was his armor rack in the corner and his mother’s portrait covered and leaning against the wall. And it was Velanna, asleep on his bed. 

Nathaniel thought that this might be the first moment in his life that he didn’t have a single clue what to do.

Velanna was curled up on her side, hands loose by her head. The journal that she never went without was next to her, open to a half filled in page. Nahaniel couldn’t help but stare. He had seen her sleep before, they had had countless nights on the road together, but he had never seen her so … soft. And his chest was doing funny things seeing her hair fanned out against his pillows, her tan skin glowing in the firelight. He should wake her. Or leave. Obviously she was not expecting him back tonight, especially not this late, otherwise she would have never let him find her here. Of that he was sure. 

But then, why was she here at all?

Even with time passing and everyone settling into their new roles as wardens, Velanna had still rebuked most of the kindness Nathaniel had shown to her. She wasn’t outright mean anymore, but she could still wield that sharp tongue against him. None of which added up to her being here in his bed. Nathaniel felt the pressure behind his eyes throb. Whatever was going on needed to be settled now, so he could sleep. Or at least sit down. 

He cleared his throat. “Velanna?” 

Her eyes snapped open as she jerked up, a small ball of light hovering over her hand. “What are you doing here,” she snapped. 

“Uh… it’s my room?” 

She scowled at him then rolled off the bed, grabbing her journal. Keeping her eyes down, she stormed towards the door. Nathaniel quickly made to grab her arm. She stilled under his fingers, gently pressing into her bare skin. 

“Velanna,” he whispered. 

She lifted her chin and met his eyes with a steely gaze. 

“Nathaniel.” She pursed her lips and flexed the arm he had a hold of. 

He didn’t know what to say. 

Velanna had nothing to say either. She scowled at him, a challenge burning in her eyes, daring him to comment. Nathaniel let go of her arm and wiped his hand down his face. Velanna broke his gaze and turned towards the door. 

“Well, goodnight Velanna.” What else was there to say? If she wasn’t willing to talk, they would still be standing in the middle of his room by morning. 

She turned back to him, still scowling, and abruptly grasped his head in her hands and pulled him into a bruising kiss. She wasn’t gentle - Nathaniel wasn’t sure if she even knew how to be gentle - but this insistent kiss might have been the best one of his life. He felt his hands winding themselves around her back and pulled her closer. She led the kiss, pulling his head slightly to one side and forcing his mouth open with her tongue. He felt her journal’s edges poking into his neck and he couldn’t care less. There was no way that he was going to mess this up. He would let her do anything to him. 

She pushed his head away, but didn’t move to break his hold. 

“We thought you were dead.” She stared at him, serious and unblinking. “Don’t do that again.”

She dropped her hands from his face and slid out of his grasp. Tucking her book under her arm, she yanked open his bedroom door to reveal a startled servant with a tray. Velanna gave him one last look over her shoulder before she slipped around the girl and disappeared down the dark hall. 

Nathaniel was left in the middle of his room, touching a hand to his lips and smiling like an idiot. 

  
_ Huh. _


End file.
